There is an ongoing need for component miniaturization in radio wave communication devices. For example, smaller and more efficient components are needed for light-weight, hand-portable cellular telephones, wireless local area networks for linking computer systems within office buildings in a readily reconfigurable fashion, wristwatch-sized paging apparatus and other devices for promoting rapid, efficient and flexible voice and data communication.
These and other radio frequency devices include high frequency components, such as amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, digital circuitry and interconnections therebetween. Component interconnection often requires impedance matching to obtain efficiency and minimize signal loss and additional amplification. Many components present capacitive impedances or immitances so that inductive elements must be used for impedance matching.
Inductors comprising conductors depend on the interaction of magnetic fields and currents contained therein. As such, inductors are most often realized in the form of conductors coiled to increase magnetic interactions therebetween. This physical form does not lend itself to microelectronic realization in a fashion consistent with achieving small size, ease of construction and high quality factor (low loss) coupled with inductance values of a few nanoHenries or more.
Thus, what are needed are practical, economical methods and apparatus for providing radio frequency microelectronic components exhibiting inductance together with a small form factor and particularly for providing high quality factor. This need is particularly severe in the frequency range from 50 MegaHertz to about 2 GigaHertz.